Thoughts From The Heartland

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Small victories can suffice

As I finish my first month of “retirement” I find myself still trying to settle into my new reality. Unfortunately health considerations have ruled my schedules as doctor visits and surgeries have taken their toll. My recent torn rotator cup injury (the result of a unlit midnight collision with a Tupperware top, my foot, and a kitchen chair) has left me either in “achy” pain or subsuming to the vacant stare of medically induced altered state. Neither of these situations allows for much in the way of huge accomplishments, but have taught me the value of “petite” objectives.

Today I await the results of last week’s shoulder MRI and the doctor’s advice of either a quick micro-surgery or a full scale rebuild of my shoulder. My insurance plan will dictate seeking a fix or pursuing a cure, either will work for me as I am board with the pharmaceutical existence I have been stuck in. I am looking forward to being able to raise a beer with either hand.

These weekends brought needed rains to the Midwest, but have been followed by a cold front delaying the summer flowers. Luckily I have found the joys of an electric mug warmer, which allows my coffee to remain hot in my cup during long periods of inactivity – perfect for navigating the internet.

This month also brought the news of the death of two friends, both of whom I met during college. One became a fraternity brother and remained a constant participant in my life through marriages, careers, children, and grandchildren. His motor had one switch and it remained on through a difficult journey. The other I hadn’t thought of for a number of years (in fact, recently surfacing as a late night recollection) – two days later I noticed her maiden name in an obituary in a hometown newspaper. It was sad to see my “whatever happened to” being reduced to a three paragraph summation.

In both cases, newspaper obituary photos fail to capture the lives they lived and the places they hold in my heart.